Haiti today is one of the poorest and most environmentally
degraded countries in the world, but it was not always an environmental
disaster area. In 1492, Columbus described the country as a paradise on
earth. Three centuries later, a Polish officer named Lieutenant Wygeil,
serving in the French expeditionary force sent to crush the Haitian Revolution,
wrote: "If the country were at peace, it would surpass nearly all Europe
in the beauty of its women, its crops and forests... [The officers] could
not contain their admiration at the sight of diverse and innumerable plants
so different from those of Europe."

Unfortunately, there has been little peace in Haiti since 1803, when
Wygeil made his observations. Political instability, demographic pressure,
poverty and environmental degradation have ravaged this small Caribbean
nation.

In 1985, shortly before the fall of Jean-Claude Duvalier, a
USAID team of environmental experts concluded: "Few countries in the world
lace a more serious threat to their own survival from environmental catastrophe
than Haiti. Overpopulated, its resources overexploited and with trends
towards further environmental deterioration everywhere, the country should
brace itself for widespread famine, social upheaval and the potential breakdown
of its socioeconomic and political structures."

The years since the departure of the Duvalier regime have been exceptionally
unstable, with coup d'états, shocking violence and economic decline.
The remaining Duvalierists and the army have fought for control of the
country's shrinking resources and riches, further oppressing the poor.
The effect on the environment has been¡ devastating. Poor Haitian
peasant have struggled to survive by deforesting and planting every available
piece of land - often on slopes so steep that they must use ropes to work
the fields; they also produced more charcoal to meet the increased demand
resulting from the U.S. trade embargo. Without clear title to their land,
they have lived in fear of losing it to the rich or to criminals. Without
recourse to modern agricultural techniques and inexpensive agricultural
supplies and tools, they have burned and destroyed plant and animal life,
and the land itself.

The results have been tragic:

Of the country's forest cover, 97 per cent has been destroyed.

Each year, 15,000 hectares of arable land are lost.

Most springs and drinking water sources have become contaminated.

Important infrastructure has been destroyed, such as highways, roads, buildings,
bridges, ports, hydroelectric facilities and irrigation systems.

Some of Haiti's exceptional and unique biodiversity has been lost.

Disease has spread rapidly.

Agricultural production has declined.

Environmental degradation has expanded into the neighboring Dominican Republic.

Bird populations that winter and breed on the island of Hispaniola are
threatened, and coral reefs have been destroyed.

The number of refugees and boat people has greatly increased.

The return of hope

In October 1994, three years of military rule ended when the constitutional
government of Haiti was restored, bringing with it new hope for peace,
development and a healthy environment. One of the first initiatives of
the restored civilian government was the creation of a Ministry of the
Environment. The new Ministry is now struggling to become operational and
to define its role in a very fluid political situation.

Thanks to the efforts of the donor community and active environmental
groups, most of the population is now well aware of environmental problems
and the need to resolve them immediately. The Haitian people themselves
are very hard-working and ambitious; given a chance, civil rights and a
degree of political and economic stability, they can rebuild the country
and raise themselves, as President Aristide has said, from misery to dignified
poverty. A well-motivated and highly experienced group of local environmental
organizations is eager to begin work. The donor community is assisting
in the rebuilding of Haiti. Most of the country's environmental problems
can still be managed using simple techniques and labour-intensive methods.

The prerequisites for ecotourism

Now that Haiti has a legitimate government and a semblance of peace,
is ecotourism a reasonable and desirable method by which to help promote
the rehabilitation of its damaged environment?

Ecotourism could provide Haiti with economic benefits and foreign currency
- as it does the neighboring Dominican Republic, where tourists spend close
to US$1 billion each year. No heavy investments in infrastructure would
be needed. Ecotourism could help Haitians, both rich and poor, to recognize
the value of the country's unique ecosystems and biodiversity, and to appreciate
the beauty of its countryside, beaches and mountains. By gaining pride
in their national heritage, they could find the motivation to protect their
environment. But certain conditions must be met.

Above all, there must be a degree of political stability and peace in
Haiti. Few, even those thirsty for adventure, will visit a country where
they face high risks of being caught in a violent situation. The number
of tourists visiting Haiti fell from 332,000 in 1980 to 77,000 in 1993
(Plan Directeur Tourisme, rapport de premiere phase, September 1995,
UNDP Project HAI/951015), largely be-cause of political turbulence. Although
Haiti is heading in the right direction, the future remains unclear and
instability persists. Ecotourism must benefit those who have the greatest
impact on the environment namely poor peasants providing them with what
they most desire: increased incomes, employment, health facilities and
education. Unfortunately, the primary beneficiaries of ecotourism are usually
foreign companies based in developed countries. To local residents it may
offer only occasional jobs or the revenue from selling soft drinks or snacks
to visitors.

To be an effective force in promoting environmental rehabilitation and
protection, ecotourism in Haiti would have to be carefully planned, regulated
and negotiated. Safeguards would be needed to ensure that poor peasants
receive adequate benefits from government or ecotourism companies. The
government and private sector would have to become efficient and professional.
The country would need to be rationally managed.

The United Nations Development Program and other donors are helping
the Haitian government develop a National Environmental Action Plan and
a National Plan for the Development of Tourism. However, implementation
of the plans requires political stability and motivation.

Haiti's attractions

Given the extensive environmental degradation in Haiti, one might wonder
whether enough eco-attractions still exist. Amazingly, Haiti still possesses
a wealth of biodiversity. It is home to more than 6,000 species of plants
(35 per cent of them endemic), 600 species of orchids and 220 species of
birds (21 of them endemic). The birds include a beautiful Trogon and the
smallest bird in the world, the Vervain hummingbird.

Haiti is a botanist's and bird watcher's paradise. The unusual diversity
and high number of species result from Haiti's varied mountainous topography
and its insular bio-geography, including its proximity to both North and
South America. Haiti remains a spectacularly beautiful country of towering
mountains, relictual mountain cloud forests, fantastic coral reefs and
shining beaches, charming and colorful art and music, and a unique and
fascinating culture and history

Haiti still possesses unusual and marketable eco-attractions Hispaniola's
mountains, the highest in the Caribbean, are dotted with dense pine forests,
waterfalls, lofty peaks, unexplored limestone cave Systems and meadows
filled with wildflowers. Haiti's exquisite beaches are often surrounded
by peaks and pristine coral reef systems Haiti has pocket deserts filled
with unusual cacti; in fact, some scientists claim that many species of
cacti originated in Hispaniola. In the highest of Haiti's mountains, two
national parks, Macaya and Lavisite, have been established to conserve
the country's natural heritage and unique mountain ecosystems. Unfortunately,
all these eco-attractions face severe pressure from Haiti's growing population
of poor peasants.

Another great advantage is Haiti's unique and fascinating culture: its
music, art and historic monuments such as the famous Citadelle; its traditional
dances and architecture; and the rural lifestyle of the friendly and dignified
Haitian. If ecotourism can be linked with cultural tourism, Haiti has a
distinct advantage over other Caribbean destinations.

In Haiti, ecotourists could leave the capital, Port-au-Prince, early
in the morning and trek, or ride a horse, on one of the Caribbean's most
spectacular high trails to the mountainous Parc Lavisite. There they could
spend two days viewing unique, endemic birds and orchids, waterfalls, pine
forests and alpine meadows; they could explore caves and enjoy spectacular
vistas of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the cool and sometimes
chilly mountain air. They could then descend to some of the Caribbean's
finest beaches, spend a day in Jacmel (a picturesque port city with charming
architecture and handicrafts), and return to Port-au-Prince to visit museums
and shop for Haitian paintings.

Another route could take ecotourists to Parc Macaya - not only to view
spectacular tropical cloud forests, birds and exotic plants and flowers,
but also to experience peasant culture in traditional communities. Visitors
could also stay in seaside fishing villages and enjoy skin diving among
the coral reefs. Or they could make their base in the Citadelle, and from
there go on bird watching expeditions in the surrounding hills and forests.
They could watch huge flocks of flamingos and other fascinating waterfowl,
and photograph a now-rare colony of American crocodiles in one of the biggest
inland lakes in the Caribbean.

In some developing countries, tourism - even ecotourism - has had a
negative side. Contact with conspicuously rich tourists from developed
countries inevitably erodes local cultures, often morally degrading local
peoples and encouraging prostitution. For instance, it has now been established
that AIDS was introduced to Haiti by tourists who sexually exploited the
poor.

But the culture of Haiti, like the country itself, has proven highly
resilient in the face of the traumas of the past. Haitian musicians have
rediscovered traditional roots and movingly express the plight of the poor.
Haitian music has flowered artistically and commercially, even in the years
of turbulence. Despite a large expatriate community in the United States
and Canada, and the omnipresence of North American culture on television
and radio, Haitian culture remains strong and flourishing.

Leading the way

Ultimately, several factors are required for ecotourism to succeed as
a method of encouraging environmental rehabilitation and sustainable development.

First is political stability. The violent and highly exploitative relations
between Haitians and their government, between Haitians and their environment,
and between Haitians themselves must be replaced by harmonious and sustainable
relations.

Next is a well-motivated, representative and functioning government.
This government must take the initiative, plan ahead and negotiate the
kind of ecotourism that will benefit Haiti, thereby avoiding negative impacts
on urban and rural populations.

There must, of course, be marketable eco-attractions; and there must
also be a systematic program that provides benefits and economic incentives
for protecting the environment from the sectors of society with the greatest
environmental impact.

Perhaps most important is the need to arouse the interest of Haiti's
elite, who now spend considerable sums of money vacationing abroad. Wealthy
Haitians should become the first ecotourists in their own country. If they
do, others will follow.

END

Paul Paryski directs an environmental
unitfor the UN Development Program in Haiti. That unit provides
technical assistance to the government, funds community level micro-projects,
coordinates donor and NGO programs, monitors the environment and proposes
major environmental policies. He has played a key role in the establishment
of Haiti's national parks and managed the Macaya Biosphere Reserve Project
for the University of Florida.